*Rohan Chakravarthi covers college football for SB Nation, and is a guest writer on DawgSports
It’s time for the biggest game in college football every year: the SEC Championship. And it’s no surprise that the Georgia Bulldogs are taking on the Alabama Crimson Tide in a game with major College Football Playoff implications.
For the Bulldogs, a win or a loss should still keep them in the 12-team picture, but a victory could very well vault them to the No. 2 seed, given that No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana play this weekend.
But, to do so, they’ll need to overcome the issues they faced earlier this season in their 24-21 loss to the Crimson Tide, which is their lone defeat on the season.
Where do the Bulldogs need to improve in the rematch?
Execute in the biggest moments
Looking back at the game in September, one of the biggest moments was Georgia’s failed fourth down early in the fourth quarter on a 4th & 1 at the Alabama eight-yard line. Down three points, it was the perfect opportunity for the Bulldogs to take the lead, but they were stuffed for a loss of three.
The Bulldogs never got past midfield after that, punting on their ensuing drive and failing to get a stop that led to the Crimson Tide running the clock out.
It wasn’t only that missed fourth down that proved to be costly, though. Alabama was a stunning 13 of 19 on third down conversions, while Georgia was a measly 2 of 8.
That allowed the Crimson Tide to control the game early with two touchdown drives of 14 plays. They also had multiple drives of eight plays (a touchdown drive and to close out the game), a nine-play drive, and a 10-play drive.
While Georgia still kept it close throughout, that time of possession battle helped Alabama keep control of the game and never trail in the 24-21 loss.
In the rematch, the Bulldogs need to do better on the money down to even the scales, while also finding a way to get some stops defensively, especially earlier in the game.
Tougher looks for Ty Simpson
Georgia didn’t have many answers for Ty Simpson in the first half back in September, as they allowed him too much time in the pocket, which proved to be costly.
Simpson was a big reason why the Crimson Tide kept converting and moved the chains in the first half, leading to three touchdowns by halftime. He finished the game with 280 yards, two touchdowns, and zero turnovers.
Simpson is the biggest key to Alabama’s offense, which has struggled to run the ball at times this year and will potentially be without running back Jam Miller on Saturday. We’ve seen him slow down a little over the last three games, as his accuracy and decision-making has wavered a bit.
But, Simpson is still a very talented quarterback who can kill defenses with his arm when given the time in the pocket. Georgia needs to find ways to make him uncomfortable on Saturday and get off the field on third downs.
Costly mistakes
The Bulldogs are 1-10 in their last 11 meetings against the Crimson Tide, with a ton of those losses being one-score games.
That was the case again in September, and one costly mistake proved to be the difference: Nate Frazier’s fumble.
Backed up in their own end zone, the Bulldogs coughed up the ball at their own eight-yard line, which put the Crimson Tide in prime scoring position. The defense came up with a big stop to force a red zone field goal, but those three points were the difference in the game.
More importantly, Alabama didn’t have a costly turnover or mistake. They were the more disciplined team (68 penalty yards for Georgia vs. 16 for Alabama) and forced the key turnover on Frazier.
In the rematch, the Bulldogs can’t afford to have those types of mistakes. They’re 66th in the country in turnover margin because they just haven’t created takeaways this season (105th in the nation).
Meanwhile, Alabama is a top-15 team in the nation in turnover margin. Not only do they create turnovers at a high rate (1.6 takeaways per game), but they also protect the football well.
Georgia will need to find a way to do the same on Saturday.
